Calibrachoa plant named &#39;incaldoblu&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant named ‘INCALDOBLU’, characterized by its uniformly low mounding to outwardly spreading to eventually trailing plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; early and freely flowering habit; large double flowers that are purple to light purple in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Calibrachoa Llave & Lex.

Cultivar denomination: ‘INCALDOBLU’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION AND STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT

This application claims priority to a Canadian Plant Breeders' Rights application filed on Apr. 15, 2019, application number 19-9761. There have been no offers for sale anywhere in the world prior to the effective filing date of this Application and no accessibility to one of ordinary skill in the art could have been derived from the printed Plant Breeder's Rights documents.

The Inventor/Applicant asserts that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor. Applicant claims a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp. and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘INCALDOBLU’.

The new Calibrachoa plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Johannesburg, South Africa. The objective of the breeding program is to create new mounding and early-flowering Calibrachoa plants with attractive double flowers and good garden performance.

The new Calibrachoa plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Johannesburg, South Africa in November, 2015 of Calibrachoa Llave & Lex. ‘KLECA09208’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,600, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Calibrachoa sp. identified as code number Ca14-5446-2, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Calibrachoa plant was discovered and first selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Johannesburg, South Africa in April, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Calibrachoa plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Gensingen, Germany since April, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘INCALDOBLU’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘INCALDOBLU’ as a new and distinct Calibrachoa plant:

1. Uniformly low mounding to outwardly spreading to eventually trailing plant habit.

2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.

3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.

4. Early and freely flowering habit.

5. Large double flowers that are purple to light purple in color.

6. Good garden performance.

The new Calibrachoa plant can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘KLECA09208’. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of ‘KLECA09208’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more freely branching and denser than and not as open as plants of ‘KLECA09208’.

2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa flower earlier than plants of ‘KLECA09208’.

The new Calibrachoa plant can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more outwardly spreading than and not as upright as plants of the male parent selection.

2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more freely branching than plants of the male parent selection.

3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have double flowers whereas plants of the male parent selection have single flowers.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the Calibrachoa sp. ‘KLECA15269’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of ‘KLECA15269’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more freely flowering than plants of ‘KLECA15269’.

2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have larger flowers than plants of ‘KLECA15269’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Calibrachoa plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Calibrachoa plant.

At the top of the photographic sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘INCALDOBLU’ grown in a container and at the bottom of the photographic sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘INCALDOBLU’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15.25-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada and under cultural practices typical of commercial Calibrachoa production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 27° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were pinched three weeks after planting and were ten weeks from planting rooted cuttings when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Calibrachoa sp. ‘INCALDOBLU’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Calibrachoa Llave & Lex.             ‘KLECA09208’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,600.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Calibrachoa Llave & Lex. identified as code number             Ca14-5446-2, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Uniformly low mounding to outwardly             spreading to eventually trailing plant habit; moderately             vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate; freely             branching habit with about twelve primary lateral branches             each with about seven secondary branches developing per             plant; dense and bushy appearance.         -   Plant height.—About 12.1 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 43.2 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Primary branches.—Length: About 26.6 cm. Diameter: About             2.2 mm. Internode length: About 2.3 cm.         -   Secondary branches.—Length: About 17.9 cm. Diameter: About             1.2 mm. Internode length: About 2.1 cm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright then outwardly spreading to             eventually trailing.         -   Texture and luster.—Densely pubescent; matte.         -   Color, developing: Close to 145A tinged with close to N77A             to N77C.         -   Color, developed.—Close to 144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate; after flowering,             opposite; leaves simple.         -   Length.—About 3.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 1 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Apex.—Bluntly acute to obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire, not lobed.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely             pubescent; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             144A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B;             venation, close to 145B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 145A.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Weak to moderately strong. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Moderately to densely pubescent;             matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 145B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 145A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Double flowers arising from             leaf axils; freely flowering habit with typically about 315             flowers and flower buds developing per plant; flowers face             upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering, plants of the new             Calibrachoa begin flowering about five to seven weeks after             planting; plants flower continuously from the spring though             the summer until frost.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten             days on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 6.5 mm.             Shape: Oblong, elongate. Texture and luster: Moderately             pubescent; matte. Color: Close to N82B.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.9 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 2.4 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 8 mm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter.—Proximally, about 4 mm; distally,             about 8 mm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five fused petals opening into a flared             trumpet. Petal lobe length (from throat): About 1.2 cm.             Petal lobe width: About 1.5 cm. Petal shape: Roughly             fan-shaped. Petal apex: Truncate. Petal margin: Entire;             slightly undulate. Petal texture and luster, upper surface:             Smooth, glabrous, velvety; matte. Petal texture and luster,             lower surface: Moderately pubescent; matte. Throat texture             and luster: Glabrous; matte. Tube texture and luster:             Glabrous; matte. Color: Petal lobe, when opening, upper             surface: Darker than N81A. Petal lobe, when opening, lower             surface: Close to N81B. Petal lobe, fully opened, upper             surface: Close to N82A; primary venation, close to 187A and             lateral venation, close to N81A; color becoming closer to             N82B and eventually close to 85A with development. Petal             lobe, fully opened, lower surface: Close to N81C; venation,             close to 187A; color becoming closer to 76A with             development. Throat: Distally, close to N77B and proximally,             close to 13B; venation, close to N77A. Tube: Distally, close             to N81C and proximally, close to 2C; venation, close to             N77A.         -   Petaloids.—Arrangement: Five fused petals at the center of             the flower. Length (from throat): About 2.3 cm. Width: About             1.7 cm. Shape: Spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire; occasionally crenate; moderately to strongly             undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous, velvety; matte. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Darker than N82A. When opening, lower surface:             Close to N81D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to N82A;             color becoming closer to N82D with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: Darker than N82A; color becoming             closer to 155A with development.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five             sepals fused towards the base and arranged in a single             whorl. Sepal length: About 1.3 cm. Sepal width: About 4 mm.             Sepal shape: Lanceolate, slightly reflexed. Sepal apex:             Narrowly acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Moderately pubescent;             matte. Sepal color, upper surface: Close to 138A to 138B.             Sepal color, lower surface: Close to 138B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Angle: About 45° from stem axis. Strength: Weak to             moderately strong. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent;             matte. Color: Close to 144B tinged with close to N77A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: None observed, all transformed             into petaloids. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 1 cm. Style length: About 9 mm. Style color:             Close to 145B. Stigma diameter: About 1 mm. Stigma shape:             Ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to 145B. Ovary color: Close             to 145B. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit             development have not been observed on plants of the new             Calibrachoa. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and to be     suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Calibrachoa plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant named ‘INCALDOBLU’ as illustrated and described. 